In order to minimize the cost of transporting waste from New York City to other states, the amount of waste produced must be minimized. In New York City, 25% of the waste produced is recyclable paper. Commonly found recyclable paper include newspapers, magazines, mail, paper bags, and soft-covered books. These should be placed in the mixed paper and cardboard bin (usually a green colored bin)! Used tissues, napkins, paper towels, laminated papers, cups, and plates, however, cannot be recycled. But food-soiled papers, free of toxic cleaners and chemicals, can be composted, further reducing the amount of paper waste produced. Another way of reducing the amount of paper waste produced is to reduce the amount of paper mail you receive, by opting to get things through email and/or opting out of useless, unimportant catalogs. All such actions can reduce the amount of solid waste produced.
Solid waste is buried in the ground, burned, or recycled into new products. Because New York City does not have any landfills or incinerators, non-recyclable waste is sent to landfills in other states, such as Pennsylvania and Ohio, or incinerated in nearby states, such as New Jersey. It cost New York City $290 million, all of which are taxpayers’ money, to send solid waste to other states in 2007. If all recyclable paper was actually recycled, New York City could gain $7.5 million after paying for costs of solid waste transportation! By reducing the amount of paper waste created, taxpayers’ money can be put into further developing better communities throughout the city.
Aside from recycling paper, action must also be taken to reduce the amount of non-recycled paper being produced. More than 90% of writing and printing paper do not come from recycled paper, but rather virgin tree paper. Greenhouse gases are released from virgin paper when it is deposited into landfills. By reducing the amount of “new” paper produced and producing paper from recycled materials can reduce such gases. Greenhouse gases are further reduced when less trees are cut down to make paper because trees store carbon dioxide, rather than releasing it into the air. Cutting down less trees also prevents deforestation and minimizes damages to ecosystems. According to Paper Newt, a Canadian environmental initiative, if one ton of 100% recycled paper was used instead of virgin paper, then there will be 4 tons less wood consumed, 11,218 less gallons of water used, and 751 less pounds of solid waste.
Recycling paper and making recycled paper reduces the amount of solid waste produced and helps keep the environment intact. New York City produces a lot of unnecessary solid waste, especially by not recycling paper. If New York City recycled all their paper, then New York City taxpayers can save money and live in a better environment.
Sources:
https://www.grownyc.org/whats-your-wastehttps://www.grownyc.org/recycling/factshttp://paper-newt.org/paper-neutrality/recycled-vs-non-recycled-paper/
